, 1887-01-22

tmoke, and at last, through Kissing, crack
ling blazes, | nm handed from man, to
man until | am lowered into the life boat,
my rescucr following The boat is
frcighted 10 the waters edge with the last
load from the wreck.
Byrd. you must sit ON my knee; there
l. not room for two.' says my foe.
There Now lean against me and save
your bGck. | am afraid that must have
hurt you. | was 50 rough This very
gently. Then as the little boat swaycd n
L protecting arm slipped about my waist
and held me steady. And thcn-only
:hiEk of 1.-THE dreadful Farnham looked
around with II meaning smile. How
lovely. This Is the most beautiful ndven-
turc | ever saviour part, | mean, You
saved her AT your own risk. Mr.. Storm.
Wei, She is worth it. | hope you may he
very happy, my dcars.'
/ was thinking what father and cousin
Tom would say If they knew that | owed
my life to Royal Storm.
We ARE the last, and n shout goes up
from the shiyering group on the shore. As
we hand / cannot put my bare foot upon
the frozen ground, SO Royal carries me to
"A block Of wood. where / sit while he re
fiectz.
You couldn't er-I mean you
wouldn't-er-put on one of mine in place
Of what you lost, - he suggests modestly.
"Oh, dear, no; | have troubled you
enough already. II you ave II large
handkerchief II will do until we reach the
town They say it Is near, don't they, |
my foot Is burned, anyhow, when |
stepped III the deck, you know"
"Oh, you poor girl And you didn't say
u word Why II Is n bad burn, the skin
IL coming of. | have some salve in my
pocket and can bandage it now - and he
il knceling, with the delight OF Il physician
and the sympathy OF Il novice, with my
foot in his hands. There was nothing
strange to us in this episode, it was 50
thoroughly in keeping with this horrible
nightmare from which | expected to
awake with the daylight, but | look back
now with u strange thrill ant see again
the frightened group on that lonely
Tennessee shore with the background of
inky cottonwood forests and the awful un-
earthly glare OF the burning Rosabel, now
IL beautiful phantom In fire, in the fore
ground, and in all that desolate scene |
am the most abject bit of forlornity. Even
the babies have mothers, but | have my
mortal enemy.
A great content comes over me as | look
ut the kneeling figure, SO tenderly wrap
ping NY Dullfd lbblf lbI 1 ltti TINT tll my
responsibility has slipped upon his broad
shoulders, and ! shall be guarded even ut
the price Of his life. This. too, was the
young man who had sworn TO Cousin Tom
that the world could not hold them both.
1t Is morning by the time that rude wagons
ave been brought and the helpless ones
are carried to the nearest village, n ham
let Of half Il hundred Imprinted houses and
II postofiice store. We are distributed
among the houses, and as soon ms we have
brenkfasted Royal sallies forth to buy me
some hose. | have written the size and
style upon n slip Of paper, which he mod
estly puts in his pocket without reading.
Presently he returns with the appalling
intelligence that 1t Is Sunday and the store
is closed, and we are surprised to find how
dazed We are, but my hostess overwhelms
me with the loan Of n pair of blue wooden
ones Of vnstncss and c%oarsencss inhescrib-
able, which 90 over bandnge and all.
II will be three days before the bout
comes to carry us away, eternal three
days in anticipation, but in reality
charmed days, that are gone before / can
believe II. Royal had entertained me,
read To me, prescribed for me, explaining,
however. that even in war the truly brave
are always gentle to the women and
children OF their adversarics, and we nave
n tacit understanding that our joint nd
venture is not to be written home.
Blu nobody can appreciate the zest with
which the Farnham entered into the
spirit of the romance, and insisted upon
understanding so much more thar there
was in the affair.
She was fond of telling her views, too.
ms | knew from her number Of sly con
CALCULATIONS md joking ~insinuations that
began Ia disturb m comfort; still I
thought thnt So long rs Royal was uncon-
sciuu- ui all il did not matter.
The light before we reach Cincinnati "A
group OF us nre gathered nj the end Of the
grand saloon, exchanging experiences and
Nowing external remembrance Of each
other ia the light OF ''perils past and dan
gers GER
Hliut the l~oveliest of all, - cried Mrs.
Fnruham's impulsive voice. was the cpl
sode Of these two young people; | can't
get over it | do so love young people and
romance, and | never Ind chick nor child
nf my own. You needn't blush, my dears,
nor look 50 embarrassed, for we know all
about il. Nothing could he more benuti
ul than Mr.. storms devotion and tender
up~. we've all remarked, and I'm sure
that ne lace could show more appreciation
and luye than Miss Castles; such perfect
trust. too. And now, my dears. before
you 10 ncross the state | want YOU to
come and he my guests for IL little while.
and then | am going to make you promise
that whenever the time comes you will let
me make II wedding for you, and invite all
these friends Of the Rosabel Now don't
say no Miss Castle tells me that She
is mothcrless, and l have adopted her and
set my heart upon this. Make her say
yes, Mr.. Storm, she will mind you, |
know"
Royal Strengthened to his full height,
and looked every inch the king that lie is.
lie drew "a long breath and looked full into
my foolish, burning face, holding my eyes
with his.
1t sLnll be as Miss Castle says"
Nothing ON earth could rejoice me 50
much. | shall never forget the thrill and
easncstncss Of his tone, but | cannot Re
member what ! gasped out in my agita
ton, and Royal will not tell me. Later,
when we are gravely discussing the i'm
portant question-what to tell the people
nt home, lie suggests one plausible story
after another until n brilliant idea strikes
mc. why, Roy, | say, suppose we tell
them the truth. Lizzie Hyer Neff in
Cleveland Leader
Water Instead of Oils.